SOUTHINGTON - A local woman charged in a child neglect case will be prosecuted, despite the stateâ€™s Department of Children and Families closing out the case.

Tracy Lynn Dagata, 47, appeared Thursday in Bristol Superior Court, where Jeffrey Lee, the prosecutor, said what DCF does is â€śabsolutely irrelevant to me.â€ť

â€śIt has no bearing whatsoever on what Iâ€™m going to do,â€ť Lee continued.

While free from custody, the prosecutor added, Dagata allegedly has tested positive for cocaine. Judge John Cronan warned her that, if she has another positive drug test before her next court date, on Dec. 20, he would consider raising her bond.

Dagata, of Germania Street, is facing one count of risk of injury to a minor and is free on a $2,500 non-surety bond.

Police on June 11, at about 5:35 p.m., were called to the area of Bristol Street on the report of a juvenile wandering the streets alone. Two witnesses, who were walking along the Southington Linear Trail, found the 4-year-old boy in the area of West Center and Bristol streets with no adult supervision.

Police said the boy had been playing in the front yard of a home on Germania Street with another juvenile when he wandered off. Dagata, police said, was in charge of supervising both children and was in the backyard.

The 4-year-old was not injured and did not need any medical attention. The boy was left in the custody of a neighbor immediately after the arrest.

Justin Muszynski can be reached at 860-973-1809 or at jmuszynski@bristolpress.com.